Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to help ensure that patients in receipt of palliative care services are able to contact a health professional at any time.

As part of the Health and Care Act 2022, palliative care services were specifically added to the list of services an integrated care board (ICB) must commission.

NHS England published statutory guidance and service specifications for ICBs on palliative and end of life care, setting out the considerations for boards to meet their legal duties. The guidance and specifications make specific reference to commissioners defining how their services will meet population needs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.